Let’s be real: There is nothing better than a well-made hostage movie. They’re simple, classic, and straight to the point. First of all, there is always a good cop/bad cop routine. The good cop is the one man who has been unfortunate enough to have to deal with the hostage situation on his own. While there are police aiding his every move, and so called professionals that will “step in” when needed, it is always this one guy who the terrorist insists on interacting with, and who gets sucked into his mind games. He’s reliable, attractive, and you know he will keep you safe. Hurray. Next comes the hostages: A diverse group of citizenswho just got the short end of the stick when getting on that plane, train, bus, or subway that sluggish Monday morning. There’s the obnoxious business-man who believes that this whole “hostage situation” is just interfering with his morning meetings. There’s the neurotic, petrified, and impulsively stupid passenger who always gets themselves killed with their irrational attempts to free themselves. And the list goes on and on.
But then, there is the mad-man psychopath keeping all these innocent people in his clutches. He is usually an everyday man on a power trip, bitter from the cards life has dealt him, and has the kind of relationship with our hero that brings a sort of sick humor to his character that makes us sort of like him. This is the typical movie formula, clear and simple.
This summer’s supposed blockbuster “The Taking of Pelham 123” is no different. Director Tony Scott grabbed that Hollywood recipe cookbook, ripped out the “Hostage Mvie” page right next to the “I Hate You-Wait I Love You!” chick flick concoction, decorated with sticky notes that read “Reserved for: The Proposal,” and “We Called it First: The Ugly Truth.” But moving right along….
“The Taking of Pelham 123” has everything a good old-fashioned summer action blockbuster needs: big name stars, lots of explosions, and inevitable suspense. Denzel Washington (“American Gangster,” “Man on Fire”) plays our hero, Walter Garber, who as a subway dispatcher finds himself at the mercy of a bitter terrorist (John Travolta, “Hairspray”) who threatens to kill the passengers of a hijacked subway train if he doesn’t receive a hefty ransom. God, if only Garber had let that phone call go to the next desk. But alas, Travolta’s character Ryder feels a connection to the calm and collected Garber, and even proclaims “You might just be the last friend I ever make.” And while Denzel Washington is as confident, and awesome as ever (he’s Denzel Washington…come on), it is Travolta who makes “Pelham 123” worth checking out — who would have guessed that John Travolta would make such a believably kick-ass bad guy?
There has always been a dark side to Travolta, which audiences have been fortunate enough to witness in movies such as “Swordfish” and “Pulp Fiction,” but it’s about time he fully embraces the roll of villain, as he does so deliciously in “Pelham 123.” He is by far the greatest character in the film, and had the audience timidly laughing in fear at his jokes and wondering –where did this darkness come from? And also, nice handle-bar mustache…
Other than Travolta being a complete bad-ass mo-fo, other components certainly distinguished “Pelham 123” from other hostage movies of its kind. For one thing, the mind games between Travolta and Washington exceeded the typical sacrificial decisions every good-guy protagonist must face in the pressure of a hostage situation — risk the life of one for the entire subway? Lie to the terrorist and face the consequences? With the invasive and creepy capabilities of the good ol’ world wide web, Travolta pushes Washington’s buttons to the point where we begin to see the dark side of our “hero” and wonder if his moral conscious really is as pure as the persona he puts on. You can really sense the tension between the two characters as Travolta researches and learns the weaknesses of the man on the other end of the telephone, and this makes for compelling dialogue and suspenseful pressure which comes with the ticking of the clock.
Overall, “Pelham 123” mixes quality acting with high-thrill suspense. But really, it brings nothing new to the table and seems amateur compared to gripping classics such as “Speed” and “Air Force One.” Travolta outshines Washington in his hair-raising portrayal of a madman, but on the whole, “The Taking of Pelham 123” lacks the individuality and surprises which would make this flick memorable.
3 1/2 stars out of 5.
